Lions' Young sent home for disciplinary reasons

November 19, 2012|Sports Network

Lions receiver Titus Young will not suit up for Thursday's game against Houston. (Getty Photo)

ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz said Monday that wide receiver Titus Young will not play in the team's Thanksgiving Day game against the Houston Texans as a disciplinary measure.

Schwartz said that Young was sent home from the team's facility Monday and will be inactive for Thursday's contest for behavioral reasons. The move comes one day after the second-year pro was benched for the final possession of Detroit's 24-20 loss to Green Bay.

Postgame reports indicated that Young was causing a disturbance on the Detroit sideline during the contest, which may have triggered an argument between offensive coordinator Scott Linehan and receivers coach Shawn Jefferson that was caught on television cameras. He was also responsible for a pair of penalties in the loss, one a false start and the other an offensive pass interference call.

"He needs to be a team player and he needs to put the team before himself," Schwartz remarked.

The Lions have had issues with Young's attitude in the past, with Schwartz barring the 2011 second-round pick from an organized team activities session back in the spring after he had a fight with safety Louis Delmas.

Young has started eight of the Lions' 10 games this season and leads the team with four touchdown catches, while his 33 receptions and 383 receiving yards are third-most among Detroit players.